Linked-List Search Engine Offloading CPU Workload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CPU-based search methods for linked lists are inefficient and can benefit from dedicated hardware to improve overall performance by offloading search workloads.
Innovation Solution
A linked-list search apparatus comprising a memory, a linked-list search engine, and a processing unit that writes linked list content into memory and drives the search engine to search until success or failure, with a configuration register setting search parameters and storing results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CPU-based search methods are used for linked lists, then the implementation is simple and flexible, but the search efficiency is low and CPU workload is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dedicated linked-list search engine as an intermediary hardware component between the CPU and memory. This search engine specializes in traversing and searching linked lists, offloading this specific task from the general-purpose CPU. The search engine includes a traversal unit that follows node pointers and a comparison unit that matches search keys, providing efficient specialized processing without requiring full CPU intervention for each search operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The search engine is designed to autonomously perform search operations on linked lists without requiring continuous CPU intervention. Once initialized with a search key and starting point, the traversal unit independently navigates through the linked list nodes, and the comparison unit independently performs key matching, enabling the system to service search requests self-sufficiently and improve overall productivity.
2Loss of time
If dedicated hardware search engine is introduced, then search performance improves and CPU workload reduces, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The search engine is segmented into distinct functional units: a traversal unit that handles node navigation and a comparison unit that handles key matching. This segmentation allows each unit to be optimized for its specific function and enables parallel operation, reducing search time while keeping each individual unit relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The search engine is designed with universal functionality to handle various types of linked list search operations. The traversal unit can follow pointers in different node structures, and the comparison unit can match different data types, making the hardware applicable to multiple search scenarios without requiring separate specialized hardware for each case.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention introduces an apparatus for searching linked lists at least including: a memory arranged to operably store a linked list; a linked-list search engine arranged to operably search content of the linked list until a search success or fail and generate a search result; and a processing unit arranged to operably write the content of the linked list into the memory, drive the linked-list search engine to start a search on the linked list and obtain the search result from the linked-list search engine.